Head lamp



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HEAD LAMP Oct 15, 1940- c. w. ANKLAM Filed Jan. 16, 1939 Oct- 15, 1940- c. w. ANKLAM HEAD LAMP Filed Jan. 16, 1939 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CHARLES WANKLAM ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 15, 1940 UNITE sr.

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HEAD L Application January 16, 1939, Serial No. 251,243

Claims.

In the present state of the art of vehicle headvlighting, it has become increasingly important to distribute the light of the projected beam according to a predetermined pattern, suchfas to 5 secure the best illumination of the road With the avoidance of glare in the eyes of passing motoi ists. One method of accomplishing this result is to place in iront of the lamp a lens subdivided into small areas, which are fashioned to difierentially refract the portions of the beam passing therethrough. The refraction is through prisms and flutes some of which are inclined horizontally and others vertically, the combined effect being to increase the light intensity in certain portions of the pattern, and to diminish the intensity and diiuse the light in other portions. However, to make this construction eiective in road lighting, the beam must be properly directed, both With respect to a vertical and a horizontal plane. It is also customary with certain makes of motor `vehicles, to place the lamp Within the fender or some other iixed part of thevehicle body. This necessitates adjustment means by which the projected beam may be properly directed Without disturbing the connection between the lamp and body.

It is the primary object of the invention to obtain a construction of lamp Which facilitates such adjustment. It is a further object to provide for 0 independent adjustments respectively in vertical and horizontal planes and further to obtain various other advantages. With these objects vin View, the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical central longitudinal sec-4 tion through my improved lamp as mounted Within the fender of a motor vehicle;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 2 2 of Figure l; v

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are sections respectively on line 4 4 of Figure 2 and line 5 5 of Figure l; 15 Figure 6 is an elevation of the lens;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the locking means for the bezel member.

As illustrated in Figure 1, A is a portion of the fender, or other part of a motor vehicle body 00 and B is a lamp housing mounted within said fender in xed relation thereto. C is the light projecting unit within the housing B, which comprises a concave or parabolic reiiector D, a lens E and light producing means (not shown) adapt- 55 ed to be properly focused with respect to the reflector. As specifically shown, the lens E is permanently sealed to the reflector D through the medium of a clamping ring D and sealing gasket D2. 'Ihe Ring D' has a radially extending ange 60 D3 engaging the reflector, While the outer end of (Cl. 24th-41.5)

said ring is peened as indicated at D4 to engage an annular' shoulder E on the lens E. Itis to be understood that the lamp bulb is placed Within the reflector and properly focused in relation thereto prior to the sealing of the lens. HoW- 5 ever, this specific construction of lamp is not an essential part of the instant invention.

As has been stated, it is the primary object of the invention tol provide for angular adjustment of this light projecting unit independently in verm tical and horizontal planes, which is accomplished by the following construction. Connected to the unit C is an annular member F which has a portion of F of segmental spherical form constituting a bezel surrounding the lens and engaging the shoulder E'. G is another annular member having a radially inwardly extending flange G in rear of the flange D3 and seated on a plurality of lugs D5 thereon. These lugs have portions projecting outward through apertures in the flange G so as to prevent relative rotation of said flange and the Flange D. The annual members F and G are locked to each other by a plurality of resilient members Il, which are substantially Ushaped; oneend being attached to 25 the member G; and the other end extending through registering apertures in 'said member and the member F' to engage a cam H portion of the latter. Thus, by'relatively turning the members F and G the members I-I Will rideup the cam I-I and be placed under tension sufcient to clamp both members F and G to theunit C. The unit C together with the annular members F and G secured thereto, are mounted Within the housing B by a gimbal construction having intersecting vertical and horizontal axes. This in. cludes an annular member I having angle members J attached thereto to extend outward diametrically opposite each other in a vertical plane. The laterally extending arms J of these members J are adjacent and pivotally attached to the housing B as by means of the riveted pivot pins K. The member I is also provided with members L attached thereto and extending diametrically opposite each other in a horizontal plane. members L are pivotally attached to the member G as by riveted pivot pins M. Also, the axes of the pivots AK and M intersect each other in the longitudinal laxis of the unit C, and this point of intersection N is the center of the spherical segment constituting the bezel F. Thus, the unit C can rock about the horizontal axis of the pivots M for angular adjustment in a vertical plane, while the unit C together with the annular mem- ',ber I can rock about the vertical axis of the pivots 55 K for angular adjustment in a horizontal plane. The vertical and horizontal adjustments just described are accomplished by independent means accessible from the front. This comprises a screw O engaging a threaded aperture in the These 45 vertically extending portion of one of the members J and having a grooved head O for engaging a slotted bracket O2 secured to the member G. Thus, by turning this screw O the unit C is rocked in a vertical plane on pivots M, M with respect to the annular member I. P are spring arms centrally attached to the member J and extending obliquely therefrom to bear with their outer ends against a flange G3 on the member G. These arms are normally under compression and act to hold the members G and I in each position of relative adjustment. Q is another screw engaging a threaded aperture in a` bracket Q secured to the member B. This screw is also provided with a grooved head Q2 which engages a slotted member Q3 on the member G, preferably formed by an outwardly extending ear on the member L. A coil spring Q4 surrounding the screw Q with its opposite ends engaging the bracket Q and head Q2, serves to hold the members G and B in each position of relative adjustment. The heads of the screws O and Q are normally concealed by a finish ring R which surrounds the unit C and is attached to the housing B by a hook R and screw R2. The inner edge of the ring R bears against the spherical surface l of the bezel F so as to form a sealing joint therewithin each position of adjustment.

With the construction described, after the lamp has been mounted within the fender or other part of the vehicle body, it can be easily adjusted to properly direct the projected beam and to maintain the pattern thereof in proper relation to the road. Adjustment of the screw O will raise or lower the center axis of the beam in a vertical plane. On the other hand, adjustment of the screw Q will shift the central axis of the beam toward one side or the other of the road. Neither of these adjustments will affect the other, which facilitates proper direction of the axis of the beam to produce the desired lighting effect.

While as specifically illustrated, the lamp is mounted within the fender or other part of the vehicle body, it is obvious that my improvements are equally applicable to constructions where the lamp body is distinct from the vehicle body. With such constructions the member A may be omitted and the housing B suitably fashioned to the desired contour.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A head lamp comprising a housing, a light projecting unit Within said housing and including a reflector and a patterned lens in xed relation to each other, a gimbal mounting for said unit having intersecting vertical and horizontal axes, means for selectively adjusting the unit about said axes relative to the housing, a spherical bezel surrounding said lens centered in the point of intersection of said axes and movable with said unit about said axes, and an annular member on said housing having a portion surrounding said spherical bezel in overlapping relation thereto.

2. A head lamp comprising a housing, a light projecting unit within said housing and including a reector and a patterned lens in xed relation to each other, a gimbal mounting for said unit having intersecting vertical and horizontal axes, a spherical bezel surrounding said lens centered in the point of intersection of said axes and movable with said unit about said axes, means outside said bezel for angularly adjusting said unit and bezel relative to the housing, and an annular member on said housing having a portion surrounding said spherical bezel in overlapping relation thereto and concealing said adjustment means.

3. A head lamp comprising a housing, a light projecting unit within said housing and including a reflector and a patterned lens in xed relation to each other, a gimbal mounting for said unit having intersecting vertical and horizontal axes, a spherical bezel surrounding said lens centered in the point of intersection of said axes and movable with said unit about said axes, separate means for angularly adjusting said unit and bezel relative to the housing respectively about said vertical and horizontal axes located outside said bezel, and an annular nish ring on said housing surrounding said spherical bezel with the one edge cooperating with the bezel to forma sealing joint therewith and concealing said adjustment means.

4. A head lamp comprising a housing, a light projecting unit within said housing and including a reilector and a patterned lens in Xed relation to each other, a gimbal mounting for said unit including an annular member, pivotal connections respectively between said annular member and housing and said annular member and unit, the oney concentric with the horizontal aXis and the other concentric with an intersecting vertical axis, a spherical bezel movable about said axesk with said unit and centered in the point of intersection of said axes, means for angularly adjusting said annular member with respect to said housing about one of said axes, separate means for angularly adjusting said unit and bezel with respect to said annular member about the other of said axes, both of said adjusting means being located outside said bezel, and an annular nish ring detachably engaging said housing having a portion overlapping said spherical bezel with one edge bearing on said bezel to form a sealing joint therewith in any one of the several positions of adjustment of said unit relative to the housing and concealing said adjustment means.

5. A head lamp comprising a housing, a light projecting unit within said housing and including a reflector and a patterned lens in xed relation to each other, a gimbal mounting for said unit including an annular member, pivotal connections respectively between said annular member and housing and said annular member and unit, the one concentric with the horizontal axis and the other concentric with an intersecting vertical axis, a spherical bezel carried by said unit and centered in the point of intersection of said axes, means for angularly adjusting said annular member with respect to said housing about one of said axes, separate means for angularly adjusting said unit with respect to said annular member about the other of said axes, each of said adjustment means comprising a screw with its head located to be accessible outside said bezel, and an annular nish ring detachably engaging said housing having a portion overlapping said spherical bezel with one edge bearing on the bezel to form a sealing joint therewith and concealing said adjustment means.

CHARLES W. .ANKLAM. 

